The Other Woman
by Bobbie23
Summary: Savannah is intrigued by something she finds on Derek's nightstand. How does she feel about the other woman in his life?
1. Chapter 1

Author Note – someone distracted me. I've only just found out about Morgan's new girlfriend through a few reviews. Season nine hasn't started showing in England yet, so this is pure speculation. Sometimes I think that new characters get a raw deal from fans. Don't get me wrong I am a Demily girl at heart, but I'm going to reserve my judgement till I see her on screen. But please bear in mind that I haven't seen her yet while reading this. Don't think this is what you expected AnnKa, but let me know what you think.

Disclaimer – I don't own Criminal Minds or its' characters.

The Other Woman

Two pairs of smiling brown eyes stared back at her through the glass as she picked the photo frame from Derek's night stand. Derek had his arms wrapped around a slim, beautiful brunette in a gold dress with a floral print and green wrap, and they were both laughing at something that someone had decided to capture the moment on film. That moment must have been important enough for the picture to be pride of place next to photos of his mother and sisters. Savannah's interest sparked as she placed the photo back next to the others. It wasn't that she was bothered by it, just curious. Everyone had pasts, herself included.

They had only been together a few months and she liked Derek. He was a nice guy, attractive, had a good job. Even with a heavy work schedule he was very attentive.

"Hey, what are you looking at?" Derek asked as he entered the room behind her.

"I was just wondering who this is?" She pointed at the photo and glanced over her shoulder to gage his reaction. His face lit up like it was in the photo.

"That's Emily," was all he said as he went about gathering his overalls so he could go to the house he was restoring.

'_Emily?'_

She had met his friends and none of them mentioned an Emily. Savannah heard the zip of his bag and turned back to him only to find him looking at her, but he offered no further explanation of the photograph. She itched to ask, but didn't want to pry. So she let it drop.

Glancing at her watch, she realised she would be running late. "I have to go, or else I'll be late." Savannah gave him a quick peck on the lips and rushed out of the door.

Over the coming weeks, Savannah did her best to ignore the photo whenever she stayed over. For the most part it worked, but there was still a niggling feeling at the back of her mind. She didn't approach the subject with Derek.

It was during the night when Savannah was woken up by Derek getting out of bed. Curious why she had been woken up, usually she was a deep sleeper, and she padded quietly to the door and peered round the corner. She saw Derek at the end of his landing looking out over his garden as he held his phone to his ear.

"Hey Emily," he whispered into the phone.

Savannah's eyebrows rose in shock. She tried to keep calm as anger flared inside of her, trying to find a reasonable explanation for him to leave her in bed to speak to another woman, whose picture was on his night stand. She continued to listen to his side of the conversation.

"So how's London?" He asked, pausing to listen to the reply that came. Savannah could hear the smile in his voice as he responded to the mystery woman. "You knew what the weather would be like before you moved there Princess. Anyway, I thought you liked the rain."

'_Princess?' _ He had lots of pet names for Garcia, but the way he said princess told Savannah that Emily was his only princess.

"Everyone is good; they miss you and send their love." There was a pause. "I'm not trying to guilt you into coming back home; you think I would stoop so low?" He said, his deep laugh filling the hallway before he asked, "Is it working?" There was an odd familiarity to the way he said it, like he had said time and time again.

His voice was soft and he spoke in a tone which she had never heard him use before. There was an air of intimacy as his voice drifted down the hallway in the dark. Instead of feeling jealous that her boyfriend was talking to another woman in the middle of the night, Savannah felt like she intruding on their time together. She watched Derek lean against the window frame as he listened to something Emily said. They exchanged stories about daily life. There was nothing to suggest that Emily was more than a friend.

In her head, Savannah made connections. Obviously this woman had moved away and they must have been close for Derek to make the effort to keep contact by waking up in the middle of the night. _'Maybe she's the one that got away,' _Savannah thought to herself.

Deciding that Emily was nothing more than a friend, Savannah quietly slipped back into bed, still listening as Derek continued to talk to Emily.

"I'll let you go to work now Princess." Pause. "I miss you Emily. Come home when you're ready," Savannah heard the croak in his voice and she wondered if she was wrong about this woman being just a friend. She tried to push the thought to the back of her mind as she heard Derek's footsteps approaching the bed. The quilt lifted and she felt the bed dip as he lay next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. She was still mulling over their night time conversation when she heard his breathing even out, signalling that he had drifted off again.

Over the next few weeks, Savannah tried to quell her curiosity whenever Derek snuck out of bed with his phone. She stayed in bed, trying not to look at the ever present photo on the night stand, and listened to Derek as he confided in Emily, her mind racing as she wondered about their history. Derek didn't volunteer any information on their relationship.

One evening Savannah had been leaving work when she got a call from Derek. He was quite excited and was wondering if she was able to meet him and his colleagues at a bar down town. She was surprised as when he had called the other day to cancel their date, he had sounded a bit stressed.

"Why are you so happy?" she asked.

"A friend of mine is visiting for a few days," he explained. "And I really want you to meet her."

The hair on the back of her neck stood up. She knew he was referring to Emily. Briefly wondering whether or not it would be a good idea to meet the other woman, curiosity finally got the better of her. "Okay, I'll see you in about twenty minutes."

Forty minutes later she was sitting among Derek's friends. Penelope had yet to arrive and neither had the 'friend', who had yet to be confirmed as Emily. Derek passed Savannah her drink as her attention was on the table next to them, where Doctor Reid was shuffling a deck of cards while smirking at a disgruntled Dave.

"You just wait till Emily gets here. You won't be smirking after she beats you at a couple of hands," Dave told the younger man. The smirk slipped from his face.

The door opened and bell jingled from above as Penelope led the way into the bar, Emily following behind closely. Her hair was a bit longer than it was in the photograph; her smile was just as big as she approached.

"Look who I found wandering around Dulles, waiting for a ride," the perky blonde said as she gestured over her shoulder.

Savannah felt her heart begin to beat faster as the other woman started to be engulfed in hugs by Derek's friends, he himself waited behind the rest of them for his turn. She found it odd to see Alex standing a small distance away, seemingly waiting to be introduced.

After a few minutes, Emily turned expectantly to Derek and he pointed to Alex and introduced them. Emily made a comment about it being strange to meet her replacement before shaking the other agent's hand. Her smile was huge as she turned back to Derek and he almost lifted her off the ground as he hugged her. He said something into her ear that made her laugh while she was still in his arms.

They pulled back as Emily noticed Savannah at the back of the little group. Derek looked between the two women before reaching out his hand to Savannah. "Emily this is Savannah, my girlfriend." Savannah watched as Emily eyes widened momentarily, but she recovered quickly and held out her hand with a warm smile that was reflected in her eyes.

"Hi Savannah, it's nice to meet you."

Savannah returned the smile and reached out to the other woman. "You too Emily."

Author Note 2 – I am planning a second chapter, but not sure when it will be up. I REALLY need to work on another story first.


	2. Chapter 2

Author Note – thank you all for such a great response to the last chapter. All of your reviews, follows and favourites make me so happy when I read them.

The Other Woman – chapter two

Savannah heard laughter around her as the people around her traded stories from the past eighteen months. She was sat next to Derek at the middle of the two tables they had pulled together, on his other side sat Penelope with Doctor Reid next to her. Opposite Emily was smiling at the younger man as he concentrated on his cards, Dave sat smirking at her side.

"Whatcha gonna do Reid?" Savannah heard Derek laugh quietly at Emily's question, his attention on the scene unfolding before him. Emily shot a playful look in Derek's direction as she heard the laugh. Savannah watched as the former partners shared a smile, lost in their own world for a moment before Reid interrupted by calling.

The cards were placed down on the table. Reid sat back dejectedly as he read Emily's cards and she promptly swept up the pile of pretzels they had wagered for the hand. Derek laughed again as Dave chuckled triumphantly and patted Emily on the shoulder as he went to the bar to order her the drink he promised her if she won.

Savannah had enjoyed the evening so far. She could see why Emily and Derek got along so well, Savannah herself found her to be intriguing and was beginning to like her. Everyone had included her in the conversation, explaining to her and Alex about some stories of past team nights out. Derek had stayed at her side throughout, but she could feel his urge to speak to Emily alone. After they had been introduced and everyone was reseating themselves around the table, Savannah caught the apologetic look Derek had given Emily. She fought hard not to frown, not wanting his friends to see how uncomfortable she was. Savannah had been able to read the surprise on Emily's face when they had been introduced, and she couldn't recall if she had ever heard Derek mention that he was dating someone when he was talking to Emily.

Even though the conversation that flowed answered some of her unasked questions, the night had also left her with more questions. She could see Emily had some of her own. But Savannah knew she wouldn't ask them here, they would both wait.

Dave sat two drinks down in front of Emily and Reid, and he toasted the younger man with his own as Doctor Reid put the cards away in his bag.

"So Emily, do you like living in London?" Savannah asked as Emily took a sip of her drink.

Emily focused on Savannah as she answered. "It's good," she told her. "Could do with a little less rain." Remembering the first conversation she had overheard, Savannah smiled along with Emily's joke, and she felt Derek try to conceal his laughter as he obviously recalled the same. The conflict within her deepened as she watched them interact, even though she knew they were only friends.

They talked and laughed long into the night till the agents started to leave one by one, exchanging goodbyes and promises of seeing Emily again before she returned to London. Soon it was just herself, Derek, Penelope, and Emily sitting at one of the tables. Savannah yawned as she stood to go to the bathroom and Penelope instantly perked up.

"I'll come with, and then I need to reunite Sergio with his mom," Penelope said as she followed Savannah.

Savannah quirked her eyebrow as she looked over her shoulder, her confusion evident. "I got custody of Emily's cat when she moved to London," the blonde techie explained as Savannah pushed the door of the bathroom open.

A few minutes later, Savannah was washing her hands while she waited for Penelope. She was trying not to glance at the closed door that led out to the bar. Her curiosity had been peaked when she had looked over her shoulder and out of the corner of her eye she saw Derek shuffle along the bench seat so he could speak to Emily. She wondered what they were talking about.

In the back of her mind Savannah knew they were just friends, but she was still fascinated why Derek had never explained their relationship. She knew she needed to talk to Derek, if only to find out why he felt the need to conceal their conversations from her. The flush of the toilet broke through her thoughts and Savannah found herself staring at Penelope through the mirror. Penelope tilted her head to side as she saw Savannah deep in thought.

"Why so glum?" She asked her blue eyes full of compassion. "We didn't completely focus on old team stories, did we?" She asked, suddenly her eyes widened with worry, worry that they had excluded Savannah.

Savannah smiled at her in reassurance as she shook her head. "No, I've had a fun night. It's just I've never had the kind of relationship you guys do with my co-workers, just trying to wrap my head around it."

Penelope nodded her head sympathetically as she used the basin beside Savannah to wash her own hands. "We're family," her shoulders shrugged as she shook off excess water. "I know it can be a bit overwhelming to others, but when you see the things that pass my screen every day, you get close to those who experience it with you." Her tone was full of compassion.

"It's good how you've all kept in contact with Emily," the thought popped out without Savannah meaning it to.

Penelope didn't take much notice of the comment but continued to speak as she dried her hands under the drier. "We're not going to lose her again," Penelope said as she double checked her reflection in the mirror before placing her hand on the handle of the door and looking to Savannah to see if she was ready to leave the bathroom.

"Again?" The question slipped out before she could stop it, and the blonde realised that she had said too much and Savannah watched as she tried to find the right words to explain.

"She had to go away for a while, and none of us thought she could come back," Savannah thought she could see a tear forming, but Penelope was able to control it. "But she did. And now that she's in London, we don't want history to repeat itself." Savannah managed to quell the urge to ask for more information, figuring if Penelope could talk about it she would. "Come on they'll be wondering where we've got to." Penelope opened the door and ushered her through. Immediately her eyes were drawn to the table. Her step faltered as she saw Emily and Derek huddled together, absorbed in their banter.

Savannah recovered her stride and tried to hide her reaction by the time she reached the table. The pair didn't notice their approach until they sat down opposite, and they scooted away from each other, their private moment broken. Emily hid a yawn behind her hand, and Savannah looked at her watch and realised how long Emily must have been awake.

"Come on, let's get you home my raven haired beauty," Penelope said as she also saw the yawn.

Emily looked grateful as she reached for her coat. She looked at Derek as she slipped her arms through the sleeves. "I'll see you in the morning Morgan, be ready to buy me lunch," she said, smirking at him.

"I think it'll be you who'll be buying my lunch Princess. I'm guessing you haven't been chasing down suspects while sitting at your desk." Emily stuck her tongue out playfully. Derek laughed before he stood up to hug his friends' good bye.

Savannah watched as they held onto one another, glancing at Penelope to judge her reaction, she didn't seem fazed by how tightly they held on. Pulling out of Derek's embrace, Emily turned to Savannah. "It was lovely to meet you Savannah," she said sincerely. "I hope I get to see you again before I go back to London."

Savannah nodded. "Hopefully," she agreed as she shook the hand that Emily offered her.

The four of them parted ways outside of the bar, taking separate taxis. A short time later, Savannah was taking off her coat and hanging it on the coat hook in Derek's hallway as he took Clooney into the back yard. During the cab ride, Savannah had so many questions and doubts playing through her mind that she came to an uneasy decision. She couldn't delay talking to Derek any longer.

Derek re-entered the house, followed by Clooney, and smiled sweetly at Savannah. He must have sensed something was wrong when she didn't return it, because it slipped from his face.

"Why didn't you tell me who Emily was to you?" She asked quietly as she sat on the sofa, pulling a cushion onto her lap. Derek looked confused as he stood by his fireplace. Savannah could see he was trying not to cross his arms.

"I thought I did."

"When I asked you about the photograph, you told me her name. You didn't tell me she used to be your partner." Derek's posture deflated slightly as he realised that he hadn't offered an explanation.

"I'm sorry; I honestly didn't think that it would matter."

"And it doesn't," Savannah told him. "It's just…" She took a deep breath. "I hear you talking to her during the night. I hear the way you talk with her, how easy it is for you to talk to her."

They were both silent and Savannah looked up at Derek, a mixture of betrayal and anger dissipated as he sat next to her, his elbows on his knees, hands clasped in front of him.

"I realised that you two were just friends and from your conversation I knew she lived in London. I only started listening because I thought you might be…"

"I'm sorry if you thought that I was cheating," Derek apologised without looking at her. "But if you realised she was just a friend, why did you continue to listen?"

"Because it was hard to stop. It felt strange to hear you confide in someone else."

"We've been through a lot together. We learnt to rely on each other. Sometimes it feels like I'm still trying to adjust to her not being here," he paused. "I confide in Emily because she knows what it's like to be in the situations that I'm in every day, there's a part of her that will always be with me in those situations."

"I see why you two get along so well," Savannah smiled and she saw one break out on Derek's face. "She's a good person." Derek nodded. "Was there ever anything other than friendship between you?"

Derek opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He licked his lips once and then answered. "No," he admitted. "We never crossed that line."

Savannah closed her eyes as she felt the sting of his hesitance. "What if she had stayed?"

"Savannah, we're together. There's nothing going on with Emily, she's just a friend," Derek reassured her. "There's nothing for you to worry about."

"I just have this feeling that you and I wouldn't be together if she stayed."

"Emily staying wouldn't have…"

"How many girlfriends did you have when you were partnered with her?" She cut him off, her insecurity coming through.

"Nothing happened," Derek insisted instead of answering the question.

"Hey," she said soothingly, touching his arm. "I'm not saying that I think you're going to run off with her." She paused. "But I think that there are things you need to talk about with Emily."

Savannah saw the confusion in his eyes. "Emily and I are good, we don't need to talk."

"You never told her about me," she explained. "And she was as surprised as I was tonight." Realisation dawned on his face. "Maybe you were both in denial, but I think there may be more to you than friendship," she stroked his arm. "You need to talk to Emily."

Derek nodded mutely. "I'm going to take a step back from us," she declared. "You're a good guy Derek, but I don't think I spend the rest of my life listening to you talk to another woman in the middle of the night." She didn't mean it maliciously; she wanted them all to be happy. "I'm going to call a cab to take me home."


	3. Chapter 3

Author Note – Sorry it's taken so long, real life butting in. I had originally intended for entire story to be from Savannah's perspective, but I wanted to include this conversation and she couldn't be here for this. So just a little break from her, she will be back for the conclusion. Please let me know what you think.

The Other Woman – chapter three

Derek pulled his car to a stop outside of Penelope's building. He paused with his hand on the door handle as his eyes lingered on the window of her apartment as Savannah's words from the night before came back to him. His head rolled on the head rest, he'd hardly slept and he felt completely unprepared for the conversation that he was about to have.

They had always been close, but Derek didn't realise how close until Savannah had pointed it out to him the night before. It hadn't been fair to her, and he understood why she walked away. There was a small corner of his mind where he realised that she reacted better than she should have; he knew that he wouldn't have been happy if he had discovered her talking to a guy in the middle of the night. He promised himself that he would contact her to apologise and try to salvage something from their failed relationship. She was a good person, and he would like to be her friend if nothing else, but that may take a while for her to forgive his behaviour. It would take him a while to forgive his behaviour. While it had been innocent conversations, Derek couldn't deny her concerns or conclusions that she had drawn.

'_How many girlfriends did you have when you were partnered with her?'_

His grip tightened on the handle and he got out of the car. He walked through the courtyard of Penelope's building, trying to ignore the assault of memories that always greeted him when he came here. Pressing the buzzer on the intercom, he tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for someone to answer.

"Say the magic word for entry, visitor." Derek smiled as he heard Penelope's filter through the intercom.

"Good morning Baby Girl," he responded.

Penelope answered with a delighted laugh. "I'll show you a good morning my Knight," there was a pause before he heard her call out. "Emily, your carriage awaits." The buzzer for the door sounded and he pushed it open.

Walking up the stairs quickly, he found Penelope waiting for him in the doorway. "I don't understand how you find running enjoyable; you do enough it while chasing down suspects."

"Well, Baby Girl I gotta make sure that Emily can still keep up with the pace, seeing as though none of us are there to back her up anymore."

"I'm generally stuck behind a desk, you know, something that you made sure of when you discussed my job with Easter," Emily's voice travelled from within the apartment.

Derek suddenly found the ground very interesting, while scratching the back of his head. _'Damn.'_

When his eyes looked up he found two sets of eyes looking back at him. Emily spoke again, "You thought I didn't know about that?" Standing beside Emily, Penelope quirked her eyebrow at him in amusement.

He sent them a charm smile. "Uh, I needed to make sure he would have your back," he offered weakly. Both women shook their heads at him, before sharing a look and Emily moved past Penelope to join him in the hallway.

"Have fun on your run, don't get too competitive," She threw her hands up in the air. "Look who I'm talking to. Not get competitive? Yeah, right. Anyway, have fun," Penelope dismissed them with a wave.

They were halfway down the stairs when they heard the click of the door lock. Derek threw a sideways glance at Emily. She looked a lot more peaceful than he had seen her in a long time. He felt awful for being the one who was about to destroy that.

He had no idea how she would react, and he threw another glance in her direction only to find her looking at him, concern in her eyes.

"Are you okay Morgan?" She asked as they arrived in the lobby.

Derek reached for and held the door open for her and ushered her through. "Yeah I'm okay." He saw the doubt in her face and she opened her mouth to say something else, but she stopped herself.

Once inside his car, Derek started the ignition keenly aware of her scrutiny. He pressed the button for the radio, hoping the noise would drown out the silence. In all of the time that they had known one another, he couldn't remember a time when he felt awkward around her. Conversation usually flowed between them, but today he found himself second guessing himself before speaking to her.

Derek had no idea what to say to her, or what he wanted to happen after the explanations that Emily deserved. Well hidden, well-guarded fantasies that he had rarely engaged in except during those months she was gone and hit him full force when she returned. He had always been attracted to her. They had always flirted and she had been someone he could confide in about the darker aspects of the job. She had been one of the few people to break through his defences, always being able to read him. But he had never seriously entertained the idea of 'them' because they worked together, it was against regulations. But since Savannah had pointed it out to him, he could think of nothing else.

"So," Emily said breaking through his thoughts. "Savannah's lovely." He could hear the questions in her tone.

"She is," Derek nodded as he navigated traffic.

"She wasn't annoyed that we're going running today, was she?" After years of working with her, he knew she was trying to get to the bottom of his discomfort.

"Uh, I don't think so," he took a deep breath before confessing. "We, uh…I think we broke up last night." Only the music could be heard in the car as Derek pulled into the park. It wasn't until he parked the car and killed the ignition that he turned to Emily to gauge her reaction, his hands falling to his lap but he made no move to get out of the car.

"Is there anything you can do to make things right?" Derek shrugged and he could see the sympathy in her eyes as she tilted her head to the side. "I'm sorry; I know that you like her." She glanced out of the window.

"I do," he head leant back against the head rest. "But I never told you that, did I?"

Her nose scrunched slightly. "No, you didn't. Do you want to talk about it?"

"What? That I didn't tell you that I had a girlfriend or that she overheard us talking in the middle of the night?"

"Oh," came a soft whisper, and Emily's mouth froze in position as realisation came over her, understanding what Savannah must have been thinking. Emily often found herself thinking of their cherished intimate exchanges early in the morning when she had yet to leave her bed. They were free to discuss everything, often divulging their private thoughts. One night Emily had woken from a nightmare and the phone rung while she was hugging her pillow to her chest as she fought to control her heartbeat and breathing. He talked non-stop for an hour, his voice soothing her as she calmed down. The following night they finally discussed the fallout from Doyle, putting all the hurt behind them.

"Yeah," Derek agreed as he watched her face and the thoughts flittering across her face. "You know what really got to me though, was that I didn't realise that I hadn't told her about you." Emily brow furrowed. "I have this photo of us," he licked his suddenly dry lips. "It's on my nightstand next to ones of my mother and sisters." His lips quirked into a smile. "I used to look at it when we talk during the night as I tried to imagine you nearly four thousand miles away. She asked me about it and apparently I only told her your name, but not who you were to me."

"Why didn't you? Surely that would have cleared everything up."

"I didn't realise that I hadn't told her," he explained.

Emily couldn't stop a small laugh from escaping. Derek turned to look sharply at her. "I'm sorry, but that's such a guy thing to do." His frown dissolved and he found himself nodding along with her. "Morgan, we're just friends. You did tell her that didn't you?" Derek nodded. "So why can't you fix things? I'm going to be an ocean away in a few days, if that's the problem."

Derek shook his head. "When Savannah told that she had overheard our conversations, it made me realise a few other things which I've always been aware of but I've ignored for a very long time." Emily was completely still and Derek could see the panic in her eyes. "Don't worry, I'm not going to make any declarations that neither of us are ready for," Derek paused as she relaxed. "I know that I could build a life with Savannah, she's fun, intelligent, caring and provides an escape from the job. But it wouldn't be fair to spend the rest of my life with her when I'm thinking of another woman, confiding in another woman." He let that sink in. "I couldn't hurt her like that."

Emily's voice was shaky as she responded. "Morgan, I don't know what you expect me to say."

"I don't know either. But you deserved an explanation, so does Savannah."

"Hell of an explanation," Emily said as she flexed her fingers nervously. "It's just you've never said anything."

"But it's always been there, right?" He waited for her nod of confirmation. "It's not just me who's felt this?"

Emily shook her head. "No you're not," she acknowledged. They had always danced such a fine line in their relationship, never crossing but they had wanted to.

"But we don't work together anymore," Derek reminded gently. "Look I'm not going to pressure you into anything, but I just wanted to make sure that we were on the same page."

"Are you willing to settle for long distance?"

"It's not about settling for long distance, it's more about you and me."

"I don't want us to make a decision on the spur of the moment, I'm scared that we'll end up rushing things and ruin our relationship completely. I can't risk that."

"I can understand that. Don't think I could cope with losing you again. What do you want to do?"

"Well, you've just come out of a relationship and I think you need time to process that," he nodded along with her words. "This decision is important and I don't think either one of us are in the frame of mind to make it. How would you feel if we left things with no promises? If say in a month, you feel the same way, you could visit me and we'll see what happens."

Her voice was hopeful and Derek knew she was being the voice of reason. "No pressure, go back to being friends if it goes wrong?"

Emily's smile lit up her face as she relaxed back into her seat. "Yeah," she said softly.


	4. Chapter 4

The Other Woman – chapter four

There was a single knock on his office door and Derek looked up to see the normally animated Penelope standing in the doorway, her blonde curls draping to the side as she tilted her head thoughtfully. Her piercing gaze going through him as she tried to read him, and he quickly thought through his recent encounters with the techie, trying to remember if he had done something to upset her, or if he had moved anything in her office. His mind drew a blank. He smiled at her, hoping his charm smile would disarm her.

"Good morning Baby Girl, what can I do for you?"

Apparently the charm smile didn't cut it as the serious look stayed in place, but her head righted itself as she took a step into the office. "You and Savannah broke up?" She asked, gentler than Morgan expected. Morgan slumped back in his chair as she took the chair opposite him. "And don't get annoyed at Emily, she was so distracted when she came back that I had to press for details."

"What do you think I should do?"

"I think you should apologise to Savannah and then book a ticket to London," Penelope told him, a mischievous smile cracking onto her face. Obviously Derek's shock showed on his face as Penelope laughed gently. "You think I never saw that spark between you. It's about time that you two acted on it."

Derek sighed lightly as Penelope got excited. "You could have said something."

"When?" She asked. "When we spent seven months searching for Doyle? Oh my Knight, you were broken. Making you aware of your feelings would have only hurt you more. You needed time to come to terms with it on your own."

"When did you know?" Morgan asked.

"I think it's an understatement to say that you and I flirt," Penelope gestured between them with a wave of her hand as Morgan laughed. "But you and I are just friends. Don't get me wrong, you're one of the most precious people to me, both you and Emily are. When you two flirt and tease each other, your eyes lose their spark whenever she shot you down, no matter how playfully."

Derek thought about trying to deny her words, but it was pointless. In his silence, Penelope continued. "It's always been natural for you to confide in Emily, you do it without realising it. When you apologise to Savannah, you need to make her aware of that, it will help."

"She listened to us talking on the phone," Derek explained. "She knows about our friendship."

"Does she? Does she know what you've been through together? I think if you explained that to her, it would ease your guilt as well as her pain."

Derek was silent as he thought about what she said. He'd been trying to figure how to approach Savannah, how to apologise. "No," he eventually answered Penelope. "She doesn't know, but wouldn't that just hurt her more?"

"It's a risk, but she needs some closure," Penelope explained gently. "She's been wondering about your relationship with Emily for a while now, having those answers would help her with that. You'll regret it if you don't."

Derek sighed as he realised she was right. There was no way getting around it, he would have to tell Savannah about his relationship with Emily. He didn't think he could move on with a clear conscience if he didn't. Derek wanted to be able to explore his feelings for Emily, for it to be a fresh start. Realising he had been quiet for a while he looked up to finding Penelope staring at him in concern.

"I will talk to her," he promised. "I just need to figure out what to say."

Penelope seemed a little happier as she thought about his dilemma. "I can't tell you what to say, but just be honest. Savannah deserves that."

…..

A few days later, Derek was weaving through the busy terminal of Dulles, following Emily as she located the display screens, looking for information about her flight. She paused in front of them, feeling Derek coming to a stop beside her. They had barely any time to talk since their conversation in the park. A somewhat awkward silence fell upon them, neither not quite sure what to say despite having thought almost non-stop about the situation.

After a long moment, they both started to laugh in embarrassment. "Why is this so strange?" Emily asked as she felt the heat in her cheeks.

"I don't know," Derek replied as his laughter died. "The last thing I wanted was to make you feel uncomfortable."

"It's more shock than uncomfortable," Emily said as a small reassuring smile graced her face. It was the nervous, slightly shell shocked Derek that she found unnerving. It was unsettling to see him like this, although oddly endearing. After years of being friends, Emily never thought that either of them would admit to feeling anything other than friendship. There seemed have been a shift in him since she had seen him at the park, his confidence was back and he had come to terms with recent revelations.

"Still want me to come to see you in London?" He asked as he shifted closer.

"Yes," she admitted. "But only when you're ready to."

"I phoned Savannah, and we're gonna talk," Derek admitted. He rushed to explain when he saw Emily's eyes widen, and her body tense. "She deserves an explanation, so we can both get some closure." Emily visibly relaxed.

"Good," she nodded. Emily was glad he was going to speak with her. In the few short hours she had met the woman, she seemed like a nice person. Emily was grateful for how she had handled the situation between all of them. There was a pocket of guilt in her heart for being the reason Savannah had doubts about Derek, and being the ultimate reason for their breakup.

Her flight was announced on the overhead, and they both looked dejectedly in the direction of one of the speakers, wanting some more time. They turned back to one another. Derek offered a half smile. "I'll see you soon Emily," he assured her.

There was a pause before Emily reached out her hand, bracing it on his arm and Derek's hand automatically went to her waist as she leant in to place a kiss on his cheek. She misjudged slightly as the corner of her mouth brushed his. It was a quick kiss, but they lingered in position for a moment as they were both startled by the spark the brief touch caused.

Her flight was called again and she resolutely stepped back. They stared bashfully at one another for a moment. Emily breathed out. "I'll see you soon Morgan," she whispered.

He nodded his head slowly as he smiled, "Yeah." There was a pause. "Call me when you land?"

Emily rolled her eyes at the request, but knowing it was hopeless to argue she nodded anyway. "I will," she shouldered her bag and grimaced as she heard the announcement again. "I have to go," she started to walk backwards. Derek raised his hand in a half wave, and they maintained eye contact for a few more paces till she turned to go to her gate.

Derek continued to watch her retreating form, his eyes remaining in the direction she went until she was out of sight. He glanced at his watch; he had an hour till he had to meet Savannah. He made his way back towards the car. When Derek had phoned her the night before, Savannah had been open to meeting him and agreed to meet him at his house for a talk. It had taken more persuasion to get Penelope to let him drop Emily off at the airport.

Nearly thirty minutes later, Derek pulled into his driveway and saw Savannah waiting for him on his porch. Getting out the car and setting the alarm he walked up the wooden steps as he sent her a small smile which she returned. Derek could see the mixture of worry and anticipation in her eyes as she shifted anxiously on in front of his front door.

"Hi, how are you?" Derek asked as he opened his front door. Clooney barked once as they entered, but calmed as he saw who was at the door.

"I'm okay. How about you?"

"I'm good," he said as he held his hand out for her coat. "Thanks for agreeing to meet me. I know this must be awkward for you."

"Yeah a little," Savannah smiled at his attempt to make things more comfortable for her. It felt weird. A few days ago she had been a regular visitor to his house, now she felt like a stranger entering for the first time.

"Would you like a drink?" Derek asked.

"Can I have a glass of water?"

"Of course, take a seat and I'll be right back." Derek disappeared into the kitchen and a few seconds later, Savannah heard the water running. She tried to relax as she sat back on the sofa, but the anticipation that had been building inside of her since Derek's phone call grew.

Derek reappeared from the kitchen and placed two glasses of water on the coffee table as he seated himself opposite her in the armchair. He sat forward, his forearms leaning on his knees and he looked at his hands clasped together briefly before he finally looked up at Savannah and made eye contact for a long moment. He opened and closed his mouth in a few false starts before he figured out what he wanted to say first.

"I wanted to apologise for what's happened," he started. "I owe you an explanation and I've thought for a long time about how to explain my relationship with Emily. And the truth is I've not really been come up with anything to accurately describe our connection, it's something that has been there since we met."

'_I'm a nerd,'_ Emily's voice entered his head, and he absentmindedly smiled at the memory. "Before she joined the team, I never really knew what it was like to have a partner. I worked well with the rest of the team, but when she replaced Elle we feel into sync with each other. I found myself able to confide in her easier than I had with anyone, she got me to open up. She was my sounding board, and I was hers." He was trying to think of what to say next when Savannah spoke.

"The other night, Penelope mentioned Emily was gone for a while and you didn't think she would come back."

Savannah watched as Derek closed his eyes. He seemed to struggle with his emotions as his hands clenched. "I thought she was dead," he said quietly. Savannah held in her surprise, but said nothing as she sensed he didn't need any interruptions. "A guy she put away as part of her previous assignment broke out of prison. He killed most of her old team before coming to DC and he threatened us. She tracked him to a warehouse and they fought. He stabbed her. I found her and held onto her till the paramedics arrived.

"We were told she died on the table. I spent seven months searching for him, and I found him. That's when Emily came back to us." Savannah bit back the water she felt building in her eyes as his voice broke and he struggled to control it. Derek took a deep breath and continued. "There were times in those seven months when I wondered about what if's, and I did have regrets," he admitted.

"Why didn't you ever explore that side of your relationship with her?" Savannah asked. It was something she had wondered about since the first time she had heard him on the phone with Emily.

"Because she was off limits," he stated simply. "With our job, people on the same team can't be romantically involved. But Emily and I have never talked about it. I've always been attracted to Emily and flirting and joking has always been a part of the way we interact. We've never acted on it, never acknowledged it till the last few days."

"You two have talked?"

Derek looked at his hands again as he curled and uncurled them a few times. "Yeah, she was as shocked as I was." Derek paused. "I'm, uh, going to visit her in London."

Savannah was silent as she absorbed the new information. It was a lot to take in. She couldn't imagine what Derek had gone through when he thought Emily was dead. There was part of her that was happy they were going to explore their feelings, but there was part of her that regretted pointing it out to them. She knew if they had stayed together she would have eventually grown to resent his connection to Emily.

"I'm sorry for hurting you," Derek said, recapturing her attention.

"I think I've known since I saw that picture of you two that I didn't really have you."

"Still, I'm sorry that you've been caught in the middle." They sat in the silence for a few minutes. Savannah reached out to pick up her glass and took a sip of water.

"I hope things work out for you two," she told him quietly, her attention on her glass.

"You're a great person Savannah, and I would like to stay friends. But I completely understand if that's not what you want."

She sighed as she refocused her attention on him. They'd had a good few months together and she would miss being with him. "It may take a while."

"Promise me that you'll find a guy who treats you like the most important person in the world to him."

Savannah smiled at him. "I'll do my best," she promised.

….

Later that evening Derek was watching that basketball game, his laptop open on the coffee table when his phone rang. He smiled as he checked caller id.

"Hey Princess," he answered.

"Hi," Emily said into the phone.

"How was the flight?"

Emily groaned into the phone. "Long, and there was bad weather when we were landing."

Derek grimaced. "Sounds horrible."

"It was, but I'm home now, freshly showered, glass of red in hand."

"Now that sounds like a good time," he smiled as he pictured her in her apartment.

"Mmm, it is," she purred into the phone, making him laugh. "How was this afternoon?"

Derek sobered quickly. "We talked for a while."

"How was she?"

"She was okay. I had to tell her a few things about our partnership." There was a pause. "I told her that I'm coming to see you. She hopes things work out." Derek listened to silence on the other end of the phone. "We can take things at whatever pace we need to. Remember no expectations, no pressure?"

"I remember," she paused. "When are you coming to London?"

"Well I was just looking up flights, how does the twenty fourth sound?"

THE END

Author Note – That's where I'm going to leave this and allow you all to imagine Derek's visit to London. Thank you all for your reviews, follows and favourites. Your support has been brilliant. Let me know what you thought of the last chapter.


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